


Trail

by Elfbert



Category: Rawhide (TV)
Genre: Angst, Drabbles, M/M, happiness, loose collection of drabbles which may be added to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 12:29:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12035916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elfbert/pseuds/Elfbert
Summary: A series of drabbles/double drabbles, hopefully to be added to over time. Standalone, but in the same 'verse, I suppose?





	1. One Friend

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to everyone in WestFic for encouragement.

He sat against the wagon wheel, smoking.

Rowdy wandered into the camp, handing his horse over to the remuda and fetching himself a plate of dinner.

Gil watched him, tracking him around the camp.

The wild haired, angry kid he’d picked up all those years ago. Who stuck by his side ever since, through tough times.

Gil knew he was too hard on Rowdy. Knew he never gave the kid a break. Knew that Rowdy didn’t deserve it.

But he felt like if the kid got too close… He shook his head. People like him didn’t deserve friends like Rowdy.


	2. Meet in the Middle

The silence stretched. Gil reflected that if they’d been dogs they’d have their hackles up. Rowdy’s hair made him look like he did have.

“It’s too dangerous,” Rowdy said forcefully, as if maybe Gil hadn’t heard the first five times.

“We can’t afford to turn back,” he countered. Again.

And then Pete had arrived with news of a hidden path around the steep drop on the bluff.

 

That night Rowdy loitered by his elbow. “If I’d’ve been bossin’ …I’d’ve said we should go down there too.”

Gil smiled. “If I’d’ve been ramrod, I’d’ve said you were mad to want to.”


	3. Questions

“Where d’you learn,” Rowdy asked.

Gil stopped writing and looked up.

Rowdy shrugged. “Said your folks… died,” he chose his words carefully. “So?”

Gil looked down at the pencil in his hand. “Some folks took me in. Doctor an’ his wife. She was real clever. Always gettin’ books sent out. She’d read to me, when I was still real sick. Then taught me how.”

“I didn’t know,” Rowdy said softly. “I’m glad.”

Gil frowned. “Glad?”

“That someone was there for you.”

“Plenty of good people in this world,” Gil said, softly.

“And now you’re one of ‘em,” Rowdy replied.

“Maybe.”


	4. Do You Believe Me Now?

“Why’d you do it?”

The question took him by surprise.

“I knew you was innocent.”

Rowdy looked a little awkward. “Still. He coulda killed you too. Maybe had another gun. Noticed the pin was missin’.”

Gil shrugged. “He didn’t.”

Rowdy was silent at that.

“You wish I hadn’t?”

“No. Just… You did it, for me. An’ you didn’t have to.”

“Sure I had to. You’d’ve done the same.”

“Yeah,” Rowdy said quietly. Then he smiled. “Mainly ‘cause you pay our wages, though.”

“Yeah, well, I couldn’t waste all the trainin’ I done on you. You’re almost a half decent ramrod.”


	5. Don’t Happen Twice

What would be worse? Telling him, or not.

It had been on his mind for months.

He’d find himself, riding up at point, thinking about Rowdy.

Lying on his bedroll, his ramrod in his dreams.

You didn’t get a second chance at this sort of thing.

Small words. Big changes.

“Rowdy. I’m in love with you.”

Like a bullet in a gunfight. Unstoppable once released.

Could go either way. A gunfight would be less painful to lose though, he mused.

 

Rowdy rode up to Favor, smiling.

“Everything’ okay, Boss?”

Favor looked at him, expression serious. Seemed worried - scared, almost. “Rowdy…”


	6. A Better Man

Rowdy’s hand hovered over his gun. Fingers almost twitching. The tension grew.

“Break it off.”

Suddenly Favor was there, walking between them, as if completely oblivious to the danger.

He had his back to Rowdy. Trusting.

The other man spat into the dirt.

“Now get your gear an’ get out,” Favor gestured.

Rowdy felt cheated. Until Favor turned, and Rowdy could see, for a second, the fear in his eyes. And the relief.

“I coulda…” He began.

Favor shook his head. “I need you more’n you need to prove a point.”

Rowdy held his gaze, then gave a small nod.


	7. Breathe

It shouldn’t have been that difficult. Breathing. Not something he usually thought about.

Somehow right now it seemed his body couldn’t remember how.

He knew he should move. There was a reason his horse had spooked spectacularly and thrown him. The dark brown snake must still be close.

Water sprayed over him as a rider galloped through the small stream toward him.

Rowdy almost fell on him, dismounting before his horse had come to a halt.

“Boss?” Strong hands grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

He finally gulped in a deep breath.

“Snake,” he managed to gasp.

Rowdy’s gun barked.


	8. Passionate Kisses

Rowdy got it. When things were going well, Gil Favor was a happy man. Unfortunately, things often didn’t go well. No one ever said pushing beeves was easy.

They’d ridden ahead to find the prairie spread out in front of them was lush and green. They would let the cattle fatten for a few days, and the men could rest up.

He turned to Gil, smiling, and found himself dragged forward by a strong fist on his vest, and soundly kissed. He gave a little grunt of surprise, but joined in enthusiastically.

He did enjoy it when things went right.


	9. Live Like You Were Dying

Fire, reload, fire, reload, you knew you’d only get three shots off - that was if you were lucky.

Then they’d be on you. No way to fight but your hands, using whatever you could grab to stay alive.

A rock, your weapon, your fists.

All that mattered was you lived to tell the tale, they didn’t.

Not that he ever did tell. But he re-lived it, in the night. Alone. Remember the smells, the feel of bones cracking under his fists.

He was lucky, they’d say. He survived.

He wasn’t sure that made him lucky. The dead didn’t dream.


	10. Somebody Lied

“You sound like you ain’t proud to have fought for our side!”

Gil stared Rowdy down. “And if I ain’t?”

“You should be. You woulda been, if we’d won.”

“It wouldn’t’ve made no difference to you an’ me if we’d won,” Gil sighed. “Folk like us don’t win in wars, all we do is lose.”

“There was plenty of Yankees like us,” Rowdy argued. “They won.”

“No,” Gil countered. “They lost just same as you an’ me. They lost their kids, their kin, their lives too.”

Rowdy frowned. He felt he’d been lied to. But he wasn’t sure who by.


	11. Tough At The Top

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Double drabble

“Huh?” Rowdy grunted, loudly, pushing his hat right to the back of his head. Then he shoved his hands far down the front of his pants. “You done WHAT?” He bellowed as he swaggered into the patch of light by the wagons.

Quince almost fell into the camp fire he laughed so hard.

Rowdy advanced, legs wide apart to get the maximum flap on the batwing chaps he’d just put on.

“What in the EVER LOVIN’ was you DOIN’?” He scowled as hard as he could, and dragged the corners of his mouth down like a fish, staring at each of the drovers.

Joe snorted with laughter. Mushy was wiping away tears.

Rowdy jumped up onto a crate, getting into his role. “I am your GOD.” He raised his arms up, throat hurting from speaking in such a deep voice. “You will OBEY ME.” He boomed.

“Is that right,” a deep voice said, from the shadows.

Rowdy made a strangled noise, tried to jump to the floor and was promptly tripped by the chaps, falling into a heap.

Gil pushed his hat back on his head, stretching his back as he moved in the saddle.

“What in the ever lovin’…”


End file.
